We have great joy in observing Jupiter and we have read many varied opinions in reviews but the opinions differ as to which colour filter is best for different features.
We have tried different colours and find that the moon filter seems do the job reasonably well.
So guys and gals what colour filters do you find best to use to enhance the GRS....Festoons....White Spots.... etc ??
Well, it all comes down to just what you can discern with each coloured filter that you use.. Some say the #58 green & #12 Yellow are good for the bands etc. Personally, I find the #80A light blue is great for all the surface details.
Really a personal choice, as everyones eyes see different colours, ummmm, differently..... L.
the general rule is blue for observing atmospheric detail which is what the gas giants show us and red for surface detail which is Mars and I suppose Mercury (but never looked at Mercury much, don't think there is any visible detail at all).
When I started out observing in the early 60's with a small 50mm spectical blank single lens ( 1 diopter) refractor, cardboard tube Ex-Franks of Glasgow, it was recommended to use an 80a filter to see the GRS and belt details on Jupiter. I managed to convince myself that I COULD see some detail on the planet with such a set-up. Mind you the eyepiece was a small magnifying lens, certainly nothing like my plossls of today!!
Thinking back I could have saved thousands of dollars if I had stayed with that small homemade refractor..................
Well, it all comes down to just what you can discern with each coloured filter that you use.. Some say the #58 green & #12 Yellow are good for the bands etc. Personally, I find the #80A light blue is great for all the surface details.
Really a personal choice, as everyones eyes see different colours, ummmm, differently..... L.
I agree with all of what Rajah has said above.
I will also add the following. 56 (light green) works well at enhancing GRS and other reddish features as does 82A (very pale blue). I also have a not so common 81A pale coffee colour filter (almost transparent) which lifts everything, particularly when using very cool neutral eyepieces like Orthoscopics or Pentax XW's. I don't use it all the time but it's a great change. I also have a Y(K2) filter (pale lemon) and an 85B (pale orange)which lifts the cloud bands.
Now here is where it gets tricky. While I own a lot of planetary colour filters I still spend most of my time observing unfiltered. I only use a filter when I want to extract some additional specific detail in the target that I can't quite get unfiltered. That is probably less than 5% of the time I observe Jupiter.
Now here is where it gets even trickier. Don't skimp on the filters, if you are going to buy colour filters buy good ones, if you own a decent scope and eyepieces. There are other things important about the quality of the filter other than its mere colour tint alone. Particularly quality and smoothness of the glass surfaces and the antireflective coatings on the filter. A $10 colour filter in a $500 eyepiece in a $10,000 telescope gives $10 views. These cheap filters being sold by several dealers are made in China or Taiwan and are of very dubious quality. There are several companies that make very good quality filters. I actually use 2" Hoya filters. These are high quality Japanese made photographic filters that use a standard 48mm camera thread. They screw straight into a 2" eyepiece or a threaded 1.25"/2" adaptor. They cost about $30 each if you shop around. They are about 3 light years ahead of the Chinese stuff that costs not much less.
CS-John B
Last edited by ausastronomer; 10-08-2006 at 12:31 AM.
I,ve always found time at the ep before the use of a filter helps. Once comfortable with the detail visible I tend to spend time using #80A blue to help enhance further details and #56 green brings out the GRS. I'd assume the smaller the apature the lighter the colour of filter used? Would I be correct in saying that????
Yep. The better filters are "colour in glass", not "colour on glass". It's done in the 'molten' form when the 'glass' is being made. That way, a more uniform distribution is obtained.... L.
this (Skyglow) is an excellent filter for observing Jupiter and Mars. Many European amateurs swear on this filter for planetary and lunar observations. I can highly recommend it.
Thanks everyone for your input. We hope this thread may have been a help to others as well who are a bit unsure of colour filters and their specific uses.
Knowing now the difference in the quality of filters we have ordered the Hoya 2" Made in Japan 81A and 82A which are both HMC multi coated and also a YK2.
We will try them out when we have some clear dark skies again. We're also looking forward to giving our new Pentax 7mm XW a first light in dark skies
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L.
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We hope this thread may have been a help to others as well who are a bit unsure of colour filters and their specific uses.
